Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated India’s first-of-its-kind Maritime Simulation Centre at the Academy of Maritime Education and Training Knowledge Park near Chennai on 26 September 2025. The same development was linked with the virtual inauguration of the Indian Ship Technology Centre in Visakhapatnam. For exam preparation, this is a compact but important science-and-technology and infrastructure update because it involves two centres, two cities and two different objectives.
The Indian Ship Technology Centre at Visakhapatnam is meant to serve as a hub for ship design, research and development. Its relevance lies in strengthening India’s shipbuilding capability and reducing dependence on foreign ship designs. It is located at the Indian Maritime University campus in Visakhapatnam and has an intended role in consultancy, training, policy support and industry collaboration through a single-window service approach. For static GK linkage, it connects with indigenous technology, shipbuilding, maritime institutions and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Maritime Simulation Centre near Chennai is training-oriented. It includes Full Mission Simulators for deck and engine operations, Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems, and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality laboratories. These facilities are meant to train future seafarers in practical skills such as watchkeeping, steering, collision avoidance, navigation-light identification and engine troubleshooting. For RAS and UPSC-style questions, likely areas are the locations of the two centres, the inaugurating minister, the purpose of each facility, the link with Atmanirbhar Bharat and the role of skill development in the maritime economy.